Tech grabs first OVC win at Morehead State in four sets
MOREHEAD, Ky. – Tennessee Tech earned its first conference win of the season at Morehead State on Saturday afternoon, taking down the Eagles in four sets (25-17, 25-23, 18-25, 27-25).
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
25 | 25 | 18 | 27 | 3 |
|
|
17 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 1 |
Team Stats
Tennessee Tech
Morehead State
| Game Statistics | Tennessee Tech | Morehead State |
|---|---|---|
| Hitting % | .143 | .106 |
| Blocks | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Digs | 69 | 79 |
| Aces | 5 | 4 |
By Layne Weitzel, TTU Sports Information
MOREHEAD, Ky. – Tennessee Tech earned its first conference win of the season at Morehead State on Saturday afternoon, taking down the Eagles in four sets (25-17, 25-23, 18-25, 27-25).
Saturday marked Tech's first win over the Eagles (10-7, 1-3 OVC) since Oct. 16, 2015 and its first win in Morehead since October 17, 2014. Both were 3-1 decisions.
"If you can go .500 on the road and win 75 percent of your home matches, you set yourself up to be in a great spot come tournament time," said head coach Dave Zelenock. "It's good to get the win and just to remind them what it feels like to win so they can expect it again."
Although Tech (3-13, 1-3 OVC) was out-dug by the Eagles 79-69, it allowed a hitting percentage of just .106.
"We did a nice job, I thought, all weekend (defensively)," said Zelenock. "I'm happy with that."
Shealene Little collected a double-double of 17 kills and 17 digs, while K'Vonna Johnson led the team with a clip of .250. Shaneice James assisted with a team-leading four blocks.
Tech jumped all over Morehead State in the opening set, leading by as many as 10 points and allowing a hitting percentage of just -.059. The Eagles made a late comeback push, but Tech took the set at 25-17.
In the second set, Morehead State began with a 3-0 lead, but Tech clawed its way back to tie and eventually pull ahead 18-13. MSU made things interesting late, but Tech took the second set 25-23.
The Golden Eagles fell a little flat after intermission. Morehead State opened up a 20-11 lead for its largest gap of the match and went on to win the set 25-18.
Needing a fourth-set win to kill MSU's momentum and take the match, Tech started out with a 9-4 advantage. The Eagles wouldn't go away, pulling within striking distance and eventually passing Tech to lead 24-22 with the set point on the line. However, a Taylor Houck and Shaneice James block kept the Golden Eagles in the set, and a service ace from Jessica Oliver tied the score at 24-24. Tech then went on a 3-1 run to take the set at 27-25 and the match at 3-1.
